Our Science

Science

Breakthrough Science to Increase Healthy Lifespan

We harness the power of the mitochondria and its encoded peptides as the source for developing new potential breakthrough therapeutics to target age-related diseases with underlying metabolic dysfunction and comorbidities, such as NASH, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.

Age-Related Diseases are Becoming a Global Epidemic

Aging and Comorbidities

Nearly 92% of older adults have at least one chronic condition, and 77% have at least two comorbidities.

Prescriptions taken each year

Patients 65 to 69 years old take nearly 14 prescriptions, ages 80 to 84 take nearly18 prescriptions per year.

Key factor in age-related diseases

The U.S. Medicare budget

Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, heart disease and cancer are responsible for 80% of the U.S. Medicare budget.

The global cost of age-related diseases

Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, heart disease and cancer are estimated to cost over $30 trillion over the next 20 years.

Harnessing the Power of the Mitochondrial Genome

What is the mitochondria?

Mitochondria are the powerhouses of our cells and are responsible for converting nutrients into energy. They have their own DNA that encodes hundreds of peptides (small proteins). The mitochondrial genome is 200,000 times smaller than the nuclear genome and is inherited maternally. Mitochondrial function, which is critical to metabolism, declines with age.

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Our Founders’ discoveries are the foundation of our technology platform

Our founders' discovered the existence of hundreds of new potential genes in the mitochondrial genome that encode peptides (small proteins), and identified the first mitochondrial-derived peptide ("MDP") associated with age related diseases in human centenarians and their offspring. They also demonstrated metabolic regulation and protection, cytoprotection and anti-inflammatory affects across multiple age-related diseases.

MDPs as a potential source of therapeutics for metabolic dysfunction

Our founders' discoveries established MDPs as a potential source of therapeutics for metabolic dysfunction and diseases of aging.

Restoring metabolic function via MBTs

We develop mitochondria based therapeutics (MBTs) that harness the power of the mitochondrial genome to restore metabolic function, and have discovered more than 100 biologically active mitochondrial peptides and filed over 65 patent applications to protect these discoveries.

Our Target

We are targeting age-related diseases with underlying metabolic dysfunction and comorbidities.

Older patients with diabetes

At least 68% of people age 65 or older with diabetes die from some form of heart disease; and 16% die of stroke.

Mortality rates for adults with diabetes

Adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to die from heart disease than adults without diabetes.

(Source: AHA)

Cancers caused by excess weight

About 20% of all cancers are caused by excess weight.

(Source: J. Obesity)

Obesity and Neurodegenerative Diseases

There is a strong correlation between obesity and the development of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

(Source: Life Sciences)

Mortality rates for patients with Type 2 diabetes and NAFLD

People with Type 2 diabetes and NAFLD have 2 times the “all-cause” mortality rate.

(Source: Diabetes UK Conf.)

Our Proprietary Technology Platform

Our proprietary technology platform explores the mitochondrial genome for new peptides that exhibit biological activity, and optimizes their structures using cell-based and preclinical models, to develop novel therapeutics with the potential to treat a wide range of age-related diseases.

Our Pipeline

LEAD PROGRAM - CB4211 is a novel optimized analog from our MOTS-c program, which has demonstrated a role in regulating metabolism as well as therapeutic potential in preclinical models for NASH and obesity. We have selected and are advancing our lead candidate CB4211, with plans to initiate clinical trials in mid-2018.

NEW MDP ANALOGS - Our expanding family of over 100 peptides is being evaluated for the potential to treat a wide range of age-related diseases, and prioritized for internal development and partnership opportunities. Our pre-clinical activities are focused on identifying and optimizing mitochondrial-derived peptides (MDPs) and their analogs that demonstrate the greatest commercial and therapeutic potential as mitochondria based therapeutics (MBTs).